Narrative:

A flight of 4 F16's was returning to vad out of live oak MOA in a block FL200-FL230. The flight is required to exit the MOA in a standard formation or obtain permission to fly nonstandard no more than 3 NM from the lead aircraft as per LOA. A B727 was wbound on J2 climbing to FL230. I noticed a code about 10 mi in trail of the lead aircraft and asked the leader if he was in a standard formation. He replied, no, and that the trailing element was squawking XXXX. I then noticed another target 5-6 mi behind the squawk XXXX code, and asked who that was. The lead pilot advised that the trailing element was 16 mi in trail of the lead aircraft. I stopped the B727 at FL190 and called traffic to both the B727 and F16 flight. They had a visual on each other. The last element and the B727 targets merged on J2 west of tay. If F16 flight is standard formation, they are no factor for the B727. The F16 lead pilot called later in the evening and admitted he had no clearance to fly nonstandard but had the B727 on radar and in sight. This could have resulted in a serious incident and/or accident if the B727 had not been stopped at FL190. We have LOA's that specifically tell what the military flts are supposed to do in regard to nonstandard flts and this flight violated almost every procedure there is.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLTDEV WHEN FLT OF 4 F16'S DEPARTED MOA IN TRAIL CONTRARY TO LOA WITH CTR. RPTR HAD TO STOP CLBING ACR B727 BELOW BLOCK ALTS FOR MOA DEPS.

Narrative: A FLT OF 4 F16'S WAS RETURNING TO VAD OUT OF LIVE OAK MOA IN A BLOCK FL200-FL230. THE FLT IS REQUIRED TO EXIT THE MOA IN A STANDARD FORMATION OR OBTAIN PERMISSION TO FLY NONSTANDARD NO MORE THAN 3 NM FROM THE LEAD ACFT AS PER LOA. A B727 WAS WBOUND ON J2 CLBING TO FL230. I NOTICED A CODE ABOUT 10 MI IN TRAIL OF THE LEAD ACFT AND ASKED THE LEADER IF HE WAS IN A STANDARD FORMATION. HE REPLIED, NO, AND THAT THE TRAILING ELEMENT WAS SQUAWKING XXXX. I THEN NOTICED ANOTHER TARGET 5-6 MI BEHIND THE SQUAWK XXXX CODE, AND ASKED WHO THAT WAS. THE LEAD PLT ADVISED THAT THE TRAILING ELEMENT WAS 16 MI IN TRAIL OF THE LEAD ACFT. I STOPPED THE B727 AT FL190 AND CALLED TFC TO BOTH THE B727 AND F16 FLT. THEY HAD A VISUAL ON EACH OTHER. THE LAST ELEMENT AND THE B727 TARGETS MERGED ON J2 W OF TAY. IF F16 FLT IS STANDARD FORMATION, THEY ARE NO FACTOR FOR THE B727. THE F16 LEAD PLT CALLED LATER IN THE EVENING AND ADMITTED HE HAD NO CLRNC TO FLY NONSTANDARD BUT HAD THE B727 ON RADAR AND IN SIGHT. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS INCIDENT AND/OR ACCIDENT IF THE B727 HAD NOT BEEN STOPPED AT FL190. WE HAVE LOA'S THAT SPECIFICALLY TELL WHAT THE MIL FLTS ARE SUPPOSED TO DO IN REGARD TO NONSTANDARD FLTS AND THIS FLT VIOLATED ALMOST EVERY PROC THERE IS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.